Going Organic

Picture from www.happyhourmom.com

Is it really worth the extra money to buy organic fruits and veggies?  I'm still learning about organic produce, so please feel free to do your own research, but from what I have done, it is worth the extra price to go organic.  

I have always sort of known that it is healthier and wiser to use organic fruits and vegetables but I didn't really think about it too much.  A few days ago, my dear friend reminded me the importance of organic.  After our discussion, Tom and I made a point to do more research on the subject.  Since I'm making Tommy's food, I want to make sure he is getting the healthiest food possible.  

Organic fruits and vegetables are considered organic by the process in which the farmers grow and process them (MayoClinic, 2010).  This includes the way farmers fertilize, prevent pests, and manage weeds.  Organic farmers use natural methods, such as manure and compost, insects and birds, traps, weeding, tilling and rotating crops (2010).  

So, why is this important? Non organic produce has been sprayed with pesticides, which can stay on even after washing.  No one wants to eat pesticides and there are many side effects.  Five side effects that consuming pesticides can have on humans are:

                1.) Birth defects and/or low birth weight

                2.) Neurological problems

                3.) Cause interference in child development

                4.) Cause cancers, such as leukemia, brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and kidney cancer

                5.) Interfere with hormone function (Grinning Planet, 2010).  

These side effects have a bigger impact on babies and children because their systems are still developing and it is harder for them to detoxify.  

Now, that we have a basic understanding that organic is much better than non, what do you do when you can't go to the local farmers market every weekend or find a natural grocery store? Many grocery stores have a small selection of organic produce. In order for a single ingredient product to have the USDA Organic seal it must 100% organic.  Tom found a chart that can be very helpful when purchasing organic produce.  It breaks down fruits and veggies that contain the most and least residual pesticide.  Some of the fruits and veggies that contain the least amount are bananas, avocados, and onions.  Peaches, apples and carrots contain the most residual pesticides.  Here is a copy of the wallet size chart provided by Grinning Planet (http://www.grinningplanet.com/2006/update-2005-05-24/most-least-chart-2006.pdf). 

THE RED ZONE . . . AVOID UNLESS ORGANIC! Peaches Apples Sweet Bell Peppers Celery Nectarines Strawberries Cherries Carrots Pears Frozen Winter Squash

SO-SO LEVELS . . . SO USE CAUTION! Spinach Grapes Lettuce Potatoes Green Beans Hot Peppers Cucumbers Mushrooms Cantaloupe Oranges Fresh Winter Squash

BETTER . . . BUT NOT PERFECT! Apple Sauce Raspberries Plums Grapefruit Tangerine Apple Juice Honeydew Melon Tomatoes Sweet Potatoes Watermelon Cauliflower

AHH . . . BEST OF THE BUNCH Broccoli Orange Juice Blueberries Papaya Cabbage Bananas Kiwi Canned Tomatoes Sweet Peas Asparagus Mango Canned Pears Pineapple Sweet Corn Avocado Onions

I know that I will be using this information the next time I go shopping, especially for Monkey Food!

Green Beans Are Officially A No Go!

After having the green bean experience, we decided to take a little break from the veggie.  About a week ago, I decided I would try a recipe I found in my Babycook cook book, which includes green beans.  Surely, Tommy will like green beans mixed with other vegetables.  

As soon as I got done cooking the new recipe, I decided I would try to feed it to Tommy.  The first couple bites, Monkey wasn't sure about it.  I was excited because I thought we might have found a way to make Tommy eat green beans.  Boy was I wrong.  Again, he started to gag when he took a bite.  Since green beans are high in Calcium, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C, I didn't want to give up so quickly.  The only problem I ran into was the fact that I felt so bad every time he gagged or made a face.  Tom says he loves to feed him because all the crazy faces Monkey makes, but he still finds it frustrating when the boy won't open his mouth after the first bite. 

A good friend of mine, Sheena, recently went to a class which said that you should introduce a food 20 times before you count it out of a baby's diet.  This fact made me feel a lot better.  Though, I still hate seeing Tommy not like eating green beans.  

Today, Tom tried feeding Monkey the Green Bean and Tomato soup.  Again, he really did not like it.  Tom even told me that he didn't want to feed Tommy green beans ever again.  We started talking about all the times we tried to feed him green beans and realized that we have tried green beans at least 20 times.  Needless to say, Monkey does not like green beans.  

I guess, we will have to try green beans again in a few months. Hopefully, his taste buds will change.  

Here is the recipe for Tomato and Green Bean soup by Beaba Babycook

Ingredients:

1/2 small tomato

1 small potato

1/4 cup green beans

Steam Veggies together and then puree in their cooking liquid. (I used breast-milk instead)

I hope your little one likes it better than Monkey!